It was almost Christmastime and Hermione couldn't feel unhappy about the prospect of a holiday spent without her two best friends at the Burrow. She sighed rubbing her eyes as a few tears leaked out; she had only made things worst. They should have talked about it rather than her rubbing it their faces that she was dating Draco.
"Hermione?" Someone said and she tried to wipe her eyes secretly but her voice gave it away.
"Yes." She said freezing when she saw who it was, both Harry and Ron looking extremely nervous.
"Well-," Ron paused for a second and took a deep breath before continuing, "Well we just wanted to make sure that you knew that Dad and the Order will be picking us all up at the platform." Throughout this he was scratching his head nervously and Hermione felt her lip quiver before throwing her arms around both of them and hugging them tightly.
"I love you, you big idiots!" She said smiling even as tears slid down her face.
"We love you too Hermione." Harry said patting her awkwardly on the back.
Christmas at Grimmauld Place was not dampened at all by the grim surroundings yet Hermione was glad to find that she missed Draco and they corresponded regularly. It seemed like everything was as it should be.
888
"You lied to me!" She screamed her anger immeasurable even as painful tears dripped down her face. She beat her hands against his chest even as wincingly he tried to grab them. "You lied to me you bastard!" She shouted tearing her hands away and backing up a little.
"There was nothing I could do Hermione." He whispered his eyes looking surprisingly vulnerable. "They black mailed me I had to do it. It wasn't my fault." He whispered his grey eyes piercing hers and she felt a nudge in her mind but she pushed it away harshly and he winced.
"Stop!" She shouted trying to control her sobbing. "It is your fault! Nothing can excuse that!" Her shaky fingers pointed to the exposed patch of unblemished skin that was marred by a black mark. She shuddered closing her eyes in revulsion.
"Hermione they said they would kill you, they said they would kill me." He whispered and she shook her head.
"Then you should have died." She whispered and he stepped back his face crumpling a little before the emotion trickled away. She sobbed harder at her words. "I never want to see you again."
"Hermione-" He started but she cut him off.
"I don't want to hear anymore of your lies." She said turning her head away from him. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as he looked at her, his face a mix of grief and pain, but slowly he nodded.
"As you wish," He said his eyes sweeping her face one more time and he turned and walked to the door closing it quietly behind him. Hermione waited for a moment before dropping to the ground her legs folded underneath her and face in hands as she sobbed passionately. She never thought she would lose him like this. He had promised, promised never to take the Dark Mark. She sobbed harder as she remembered how he had come to believe in salvation, how he had been trying to erase all his sins. Hermione wished she could change this one single thing, to have him back his perfect luminescent skin untainted, wished that he hadn't given in so easily.
Life just was.
